


Le Chatelier's Principle

by badomens444



Series: Displaced [11]
Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: M/M, Universal Alteration - World Switching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 14:43:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1714349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badomens444/pseuds/badomens444





	Le Chatelier's Principle

Author's Notes: And the fluff ends and we get on with some semblance of a plot!

* * *

 

Yuri was getting better. The more he fought, the more his skills improved. He was besting recruits easily and was squaring off against more seasoned veterans with some struggle, but promising results. He was progressing much faster than Flynn had expected, and it made him swell with pride. But it worried him as well. Yuri seemed less interested in leaving the palace to fend for himself in the vast world that he was still learning about, but part of Flynn knew that it was an eventuality. He wanted to hold on just a little longer. He wasn't ready to give up just yet.

He found Yuri on the training grounds. It wasn't an usual place for him to be, especially considering how much he liked to fight. He was finishing off a bout with a new recruit, and doing marvelously. Flynn decided to hang back and watch for a little while to see how the fight would go.

The odds were currently in Yuri's favor. With his lack of shield and armor, he was faster than the average full armed knight. But even this knight, in only his uniform, was too used to the burden of metal to counter balance his movements correctly unburdened. Yuri was of course using that to his advantage. He used well aimed side strikes, feints, and moves much faster than the knight could counter.

Yuri had developed a style of his own. He was flashy, using movements that easily drew the enemy's attention and showed off his skill. He sacrificed defense for mobility. When he did bother blocking rather than dodging, it was usually so he could find the opening he needed and moved in and out of the block swiftly. He was confident and sure and his attacks hit hard.

The fight had a clear outcome after only moments and the recruit yielded his practice blade in favor of not getting thrashed further. Yuri thanked him in his own cocky way, and the knight scurried away.

"Looks like you're getting better," Flynn said with his approach. "Ready to call it a day on practice?"

"Any chance I can get one more match out of you?" He smirked. It had been a long time since Flynn had tested his skill.

"Sure." He could use the practice as well. He took up the wooden blade that the last opponent had left and took stance. "Ready when you are."

"I'm always ready."

Yuri lunged. Flynn had expected him to make his move first. Yuri was impatient in that way. He immediately blocked, throwing Yuri back. He came again, ready to swing at Flynn's side. He blocked again, but Yuri drew back and, with a flick, knocked the blunt end of his blade into Flynn's side.

It wasn't hard enough to break anything or leave more than a bruise. Yuri was capable of more. He was playing, but Flynn was about to show him up on that.

As soon as Flynn's stance changed in the slightest, Yuri backed off, waiting for the moment to strike. Flynn wasn't going to give him one. He charged forward, sword high and at the ready. Yuri wasn't going to attempt to block. He was going in for a counter strike. Flynn was ready for that, easily knocking aside the attempted counter and getting a solid blow in at Yuri's hip.

Yuri recoiled quickly, sword back up in a flash as Flynn was finishing his follow through. The wooden sword slid against his other side, leaving a wound that matched the first Yuri had left. He took a step back, putting just enough distance between them to get his sword back down to strike again, but Yuri was faster. He kicked off, charging the short distance and delivering three swiftly aimed punches that sent Flynn back further.

Flynn recovered quickly and was able to strike, knocking Yuri's sword from his hand and ending the fight with the two of them standing there, attempting to catch their breath.

"You're getting quite good."

"Thanks. Maybe one day, I'll be a better match for you."

"Give it time. With practice, you'll get even better." On that note, Flynn had a thought in mind, for a promise that he had made a while ago. "I still owe you a real sword. Why don't we go pick one out?"

Yuri's face lit up the way it always did when he was excited. It was as easy as that to get Yuri's mind off of training.

Flynn had apprehensions about returning to the same sword shop that they had been to be before, but went anyway, and they were greeted warmly once more. Yuri went right to trying out the blades, swinging them around to test their weight and balance.

After nearly half an hour, he finally seemed to find a blade that suited him. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about it, but if it was the one Yuri wanted, it was good enough for Flynn. They got him a scabbard to go along with it, that Yuri insisted on carrying, the cord wrapped around his hand rather than tied to his belt. There was no talking him out of that.

"I'm hungry," Yuri said matter-of-factly. It was no surprise after all the practicing he had done that morning.

Flynn was a bit hungry as well and rather than take the long walk back to the palace for lunch, he had a better suggestion. "Let's go to the Comet."

"Oh, the tavern in the Lower Quarter? Sure."

The Comet was busy this time of day, but they were seated without a problem by the innkeeper's daughter, a girl less than 10, who often played with Yuri.

It was warm and bustling, filled with the chatter of the Lower Quarter citizens, hiding wherever they could in order to escape the chill of winter and the icy streets. The fire in the hearth made the air feel thick with more than laughter, but it was always comfortable here no matter the season.

They were brought mugs of tea and bowls of stew and day old bread. It was warm and filling and satisfying in the way that no food from the palace was.

Warmed to the bone and with their stomachs full, they took to the streets once more and headed back toward the palace. Flynn still had work to do for the day, but Yuri stopped before they made it to the Public Quarter.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I promised the kids I'd help them build a snow fort, so I'm gonna head back down to meet them."

"Will you be back in time for dinner?" It was a silly question. Yuri usually made it up just in time to get fed.

"Sure." He smiled and Flynn looked forward to the chance for them to share another meal.

They shared a lot of meals these days and Flynn liked that. It was something of a constant that made Flynn feel stable. He had shared meals with very few people these last few years, and even then, Yuri was different. Yuri was different and Flynn wouldn't change what they had for anything.

* * *

 

Work had gone smoothly all afternoon. Even the meeting with the Council had gone well, and his requests for some aid seemed to finally be getting through to them. Recruit training was going well. The Knights were a stronger, better trained force than ever before, reinforced with morality and justice. The Empire's relations with the other powers in the world were ever improving. Things were looking up, right up until Sodia entered his office late that afternoon.

He assumed that it was nothing out of the ordinary, a report from the captains in the field or a request for reinforcements at worse. He wasn't prepared for the messenger of the enveloped bordered in blood red.

He had seen envelopes like that before and knew what they meant, a message they gave even before the letter was opened.

"It's for _Yuri_ , Sir." The tone of Sodia's voice was tinged with venom.

He was careful not to officially accept it yet. "Who sent this?"

The messenger, and elderly man in a fitted suit spoke with the air and inflection of the aristocracy. "My master, Lord Alexander Cumore."

Flynn's blood boiled at that name and at the letter set before him. He took a moment to collect himself before taking the letter in hand. "Tell your master that we'll send a response in the morning."

"Of course," the messenger said, with a tone that questioned Flynn's statement.

Sodia saw him out and Flynn dropped the letter on his desk, disgusted with its contents and meaning. When Yuri got back to the palace for dinner, he was in for a piece of Flynn's mind. Luckily, by the time it was dark, he came strolling back as pleased with himself as he could be. Flynn held his temper, biting the inside of his cheek. He waited and would bide his time until they were alone together and he could question Yuri on just what had prompted the message from Cumore.

He waited, tight-lipped as dinner was served. As Yuri went for his food, Flynn brandished the envelope.

"Would you mind explaining this?"

"It's an envelope. What about it?"

"This is a formal message from Cumore."

"So?"

"This is a letter of challenge! Why is Alexander Cumore challenging you to a duel?"

"Oh, _that_." He said that like it was nothing. It only made Flynn more angry.

"How did this happen?" He at least wanted the story before he started off on a tirade.

"We just had a disagreement." Yuri brushed past the envelope and went on to east.

"About _what_?"

"You know. The usual. He said that he was going to challenge me to a duel, but I didn't honestly expect him to own up to that."

Whatever Yuri had said to enrage Cumore, he had taken it very seriously. It didn't take much to ruffle Cumore's feathers to begin with and Yuri had a special aptitude for knowing just what to say to get under someone's skin. That had no doubt been the case here.

"What are you going to do?"

"Fight him, of course. If that overinflated fruit loop thinks he can intimidate me, he's wrong."

"Yuri...." Flynn passed his hand down his face, sighing with frustration. "Alexander Cumore is a trained former captain of the Imperial Knights. His family wasn't the only that thing that got him that position. He's been sword fighting for _years_. Your experience pales in comparison to his."

"Oh, so you don't think I can do it. Is that it?"

"I didn't say that--"

Yuri smirked, his eyes dark and wild at the thought of a challenge. "Prove it."

"I--" He couldn't believe Yuri had gotten him into this position. He was not only mad, but worried, too. It wasn't that he didn't believe in Yuri. He knew that Cumore was never above using underhanded tricks in order to win.

"What do I get if I win?"

"What?"

"What do I get if I win the duel?"

"You get to live another day!"

"Okay. What else?" Yuri was taking this far too lightly.

"Could you at least take this a little seriously?! You are completely unprepared for his fight and he knows that!"

"Take it easy." That only fueled the flames of Flynn's fire. "There's time. It's a week until the duel right?"

He stopped, dropping his head into his hands, rubbing his eyes. They stung with the heat of his anger. He took a couple of deep, ragged breaths in an attempt to calm down. "Yuri, I'm only worried for your safety. Cumore may look like a joke, but he is deadly serious. Are you seriously considering accepting his challenge?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation.

"Fine." Starting tomorrow, he was going to train Yuri even harder.

It was going to be a long week.

 


End file.
